How to open Ubuntu GUI inside a Docker image

Question

I have downloaded the Ubuntu image inside Docker on Windows.

I can run Ubuntu by:

docker run -it ubuntu

I only see root, but I don't see the Ubuntu GUI. How do I install or configure the GUI for that image and run applications on that GUI like we run in a VM?

What's the use-case for needing the Ubuntu GUI from a docker container? Docker generally runs headless, so you could install X and run a VNC server or something I guess... but seems odd. — Jonnix, Nov 17 '16 at 14:58
Docker images are supposed to run one app most typically a server or a compute app. Sometimes it gets to more that one app but usually not to serve the UI. UI needs lot more for which docker is not a good use case. — randominstanceOfLivingThing, Nov 17 '16 at 15:00
i actually want to code python and debug all the things in the image, what would be the way to do so inside ubuntu image ? — Shan Khan, Nov 17 '16 at 15:01
`all the things`. Please be more specific. You want to debug your python code, or more? — Jonnix, Nov 17 '16 at 15:02
i want to setup complete tools to develop in python, visual studio code editor, firefox, dropbox to manage that code and same basic apps — Shan Khan, Nov 17 '16 at 15:04
Use a VM then. This doesn't sound like an appropriate use of docker _at all_. — Jonnix, Nov 17 '16 at 15:10
Probably [duplicate of this question](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/16296753/can-you-run-gui-apps-in-a-docker-container). — Pablo Bianchi, Dec 01 '17 at 02:32
Another related question: https://stackoverflow.com/questions/52766270/download-and-run-ubuntu-desktop-with-gnome-support-via-docker/59287775#59287775 — Stefan, Apr 22 '20 at 06:12

Ciro Santilli Путлер Капут 六四事 · Answer 1 · 2022-02-25T12:04:40.017

fcwu/docker-ubuntu-vnc-desktop

https://github.com/fcwu/docker-ubuntu-vnc-desktop provides a convenient setup:

sudo docker run --name ubvnc -p 6080:80 -p 5900:5900 dorowu/ubuntu-desktop-lxde-vnc:bionic

Then on host either:

visit: http://127.0.0.1:6080/#/ which runs a noVNC more limited JavaScript VNC client
run:
```
sudo apt-get install tigervnc-viewer
xtigervncviewer :5900
```
To go into fullscreen mode, hit F8 and click on menu entry, or just F8 followed by T: https://superuser.com/questions/285843/how-do-i-switch-in-out-of-fullscreen-mode-from-the-command-line-in-realvnc You might need to close and reopen the screen after that for the image to get larger.

I also tried vinagre, but it was much laggier when scrolling Firefox on YouTube.

Inside vinagre, you might want to go into full screen mode to be able to see the full desktop

To quit just kill docker on the terminal. And to restart the machine:

sudo docker start ubvnc

and then reconnect with VNC. Then to quit the machine:

sudo docker stop ubvnc

You have to wait a few seconds for the VNC server on the guest to start before you can connect.

Chromium inside the guest won't start from the menu. If you try to launch it from the command line it explains why:

Running as root without --no-sandbox is not supported. See https://crbug.com/638180.

so just run it from the CLI with:

chromium-browser --no-sandbox

Firefox does not care however.

TODO: no audio. --device /dev/snd did not help:

EDIT: they added a section for it: https://github.com/fcwu/docker-ubuntu-vnc-desktop/tree/e4922ce92f945fc482994b7a0fd95ca5de7295b3#sound-preview-version-and-linux-only

See also:

Can you run GUI applications in a Linux Docker container?

Tested on:

Ubuntu 19.04 host, fcwu/docker-ubuntu-vnc-desktop, dorowu/ubuntu-desktop-lxde-vnc image id: 70516b87e92d.
Ubuntu 21.10 host, dorowu/ubuntu-desktop-lxde-vnc:focal (Ubuntu 20.04)

On windows machines we can install a vncviewer like realvnc and connect to 127.0.0.1:5900. — Dheerendra Kulkarni, Nov 21 '19 at 09:28
this is one of the best working "x in vnc" solutions out there. I just wish it was gnome :/ — tedder42, Mar 12 '20 at 03:26

score 9 · Accepted Answer · edited Jul 24 '18 at 10:04

9

Generally, the approach for developing with Docker is to keep the IDE on the workstation, and build images with the binary produced from the sources.

You can find many example of such a workflow (local compilation, deployment in Docker containers) in domeide.github.io/ (Docker meets the IDE!)
For example: Docker Tools for VisualStudio allows for a tight integration between your editor and Docker processes.

(But this is for Visual Studio 2015, not Visual Studio Code.)

edited Jul 24 '18 at 10:04

Peter Mortensen

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answered Nov 17 '16 at 15:15

VonC

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thanks for clearing me , i guess i have to code python in visual studio code in my VS Code in host workstation and use the images of ubuntu python libraries docker images , right ? and build using that – Shan Khan Nov 17 '16 at 15:19
2

@ShanKhan That is the idea, yes. You can mount local folders into containers with docker run -v with data volumes (https://docs.docker.com/engine/tutorials/dockervolumes/#/mount-a-host-directory-as-a-data-volume) – VonC Nov 17 '16 at 15:32
The last link is broken (404). – Peter Mortensen Jul 24 '18 at 09:57

score 4 · Answer 3 · edited Jul 24 '18 at 09:58

4

You can directly connect a Docker container to your X server.

See Stack Overflow question Can you run GUI applications in a Docker container?.

edited Jul 24 '18 at 09:58

Peter Mortensen

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answered Dec 12 '17 at 13:14

Jürgen Weigert

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How to open Ubuntu GUI inside a Docker image

3 Answers3

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